Shelf rack for supporting articles



May 24, 1966 R. c. WALTHER ET AL 3,252,583

SHELF RACK FDR SUPPORTING ARTICLES Filed March 2, 1964 INVENTOR5 RONALD p. WAT/HER /CHAQQ J, PAGE ATTOR/VEKS United States Patent 3,252,583 SHELF RACK FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES Ronald D. Walther, Minneapolis, and Richard I. Page,

Excelsior, Mimn, assignors to Foley Manufacturing Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,580 6 Claims. (Cl. 211-119) This invention relates generally to racks for hanging or supporting articles, and more particularly, it relates to a novel shelf rack adapted to support articles beneath a shelf.

The desirability of utilizing the space beneath the shelves of cupboards and the like for the storage of various articles has been long recognized. For example, it has often been the practice for housewives to install cup books on the bottom of a shelf for holding cups and the like in order to increase the storage capacity of cupboards. With this in mind, the present invention relates to a novel shelf rack adapted to support or suspend a plurality of articles beneath a shelf.

An important object of the present invention is the provision of a novel shelf rack for supporting articles beneath a shelf which is constructed with barb means adapted to engage the underlying surface of the shelf for tight engagement of the rack therewith in order to prevent accidental displacement of the rack from the shelf.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a shelf rack for supporting articles beneath a shelf which is designed to make minimum utilization of available shelf space, and which is also designed to display articles for maximum visibility and ready access.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a shelf rack for supporting articles which is particularly designed in one embodiment for the retention of a plurality of spice cans, and which is also designed in a modified embodiment for the efficient hanging of a plurality of cups or the like.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a shelf rack for supporting articles which is durable in construction, simple and efficient in its design, and relatively inexpensive to manfacture.

The above and still further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed specification, attached claims and appended drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts or elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the shelf rack of the present invention in its operative position as installed on a shelf;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation thereof, and showing articles in the form of spice cans being retained thereby;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in end elevation thereof;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a shelf rack showing a modified embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in end elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1 thereof, the reference numeral 1 relates generally to an elongated shelf the front edge portion of which is represented by the reference numeral 2, The upper surface of the shelf 1 is represented by the numeral 3 and the lower surface thereof is represented by the numeral 4. The novel shelf rack of the present invention comprises an elongated frame including .a pair of elongated generally parallel frame members the front of which is denoted by the reference numeral 5 and the rear of which is denoted by the reference numeral 6.

The opposite end portions of therear frame member 6 are bent forward to define end bars 7, 8. Preferably, and .as shown, the rear frame member 6 and the end bars 7, 8 are formed from a single length of rod stock, which is also formed to define a pair of longitudinally spaced upwardly and rearwardly projecting arms 9, 10 connected to the opposite end bars 7, 8. The arms 9, 10 are adapted to extend upwardly over the shelf edge portion 2 and engage the shelf upper surface 3; and as shown particularly in FIG. 3, the rear end portions of the arms 9, 10 are bent upwardly and rearwardly to permit relatively easy placement of the arms 9, 10 onto the shelf 1.

A plurality of article supporting elements in the form of longitudinally spaced laterally projecting cradles are secured to the frame members 5, 6. Each of the cradles 11 defines a pair of longitudinally spaced generally parallel upper rods 12 and a pair of depending rods 13 bent generally perpendicular to the upper rods 12 and disposed generally at the rear of the rack. The upper rods 12 are secured, as by welding or the like, to the spaced frame members 5, 6.- The cradles 11 each further comprise a pair of generally parallel cradle arms 14 projecting generally horizontally and forwardly from the depending rods 13, and each of the cradles 11 further comprises a front crossbar 15. As shown in the drawings, the cradles 11 may be conveniently formed from a continuous length of rod stock. It is noted that the front crossbar 5 of each of the cradles 11 is bent upwardly at the intermediate portion thereof to define an intermediate ridge portion 16 adapted to form a barrier against accidental removal of the articles supported by the cradles 11. As shown by dotted lines in FIG. 2, the cradles 11 are designed to hold or retain a plurality of spice cans in closely spaced relation beneath the shelf 1. The cradles 11 are designed so that they may be slightly flexed in order to permit insertion and removal of the spice cans over the front ridge portion 16.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a plurality of generally upwardly and forwardly projecting barb elements 17, which are defined by the front end portions of the upper rods 12 of the cradles 11. As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the uppermost end of the barb elements 17 are disposed slightly above the horizontal frame members 5, 6 whereby to dispose the barb elements 17 for engagement with the lower surface 4 of the shelf 1 in order to prevent accidental removal of the rack. The barb elements 17 extend upwardly and forwardly so as to permit the same to slide relatively easily against the bottom surface 4 of the shelf 1 when the rack is being installed, but also so that the barb elements 17 will bite into the lower surface 4 of the shelf 1 when the rack is displaced outwardly whereby to prevent accidental removal of the rack from hereinafter mentioned to the above described embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. l-3, and the parts or elements of the modified or alternative embodiment which correspond to like parts or elements shown in FIGS. l-3 are denoted by the use of the same reference characters with prime marks added thereto. The article supporting elements of this embodiment are in the form of a plurality of depending hooks, represented generally by the reference numeral 18, adapted to support a plurality of utensils, such as cups or the like, not shown.

Each of the hooks 18 comprises an upper rod 19 secured as by welding or the like to the frame members 5, 6'. Each of the hooks 18 further comprises a depending rear portion 20, and an upturned hook end portion 21.

All of the hooks 18 are connected together by means of an elongated generally horizontal connecting rod 22 secured, as by welding or the like, to the depending rear portions 20 of the hooks 18. As is true with the embodiment first described above, theembodiment shown in FIGS. 45 includes a plurality of barb elements 17' which are defined by the aligned front end portions of the upper rods 19 of the books 18. Of course, the barb elements 17' operate in the manner noted above to prevent accidental displacement of the. rack from the shelf 1.

This invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above-noted objects; and while preferred embodiments thereof in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated have been shown and described above, it should be specifically understood that the same may be modified without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shelf rack for holding articles beneath a shelf, said rack comprising:

(a) an elongated frame member,

(b) a pair of longitudinally spaced upwardly and rearwardly projecting arms secured to said member and adapted to extend upwardly over a shelf edge portion and engage an adjacent upper surface of a shelf,

() a plurality of longitudinally spaced generally up wardly and forwardly projecting barb elements secured to said frame member and adapted to engage a lower surface of a shelf to prevent accidental removal of the rack,

(d) a plurality of article supporting elements secured to said frame member and adapted to hold articles in closely spaced relation below a shelf, and

(e) said barb elements being defined by upper end portions of said article supporting elements.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said article supporting elements comprise laterally projecting cradles each adapted to support a spice can or the like.

3. A shelf rack for holding articles beneath a shelf, said rack comprising:

(a) an elongated frame member,

(b) a pair of longitudinally spaced upwardly and rearwardly porjecting arms secured to said member and adapted to extend upwardly over a shelf edge portion and engage an adjacent upper surface of a shelf,

(c) generally upwardly and forwardly projecting barb means secured to said frame member and adapted to engage a lower surface of a shelf to prevent accidental removal of the rack, and

(d) a plurality of laterally projecting cradles each V 4 adapted to support a spice can, said cradles each comprising:

(1) a pair of longitudinally spaced depending rods disposed generally at the rear of said rack and Y secured to said frame member,

(2) a pair of longitudinally spaced generally parallel cradle arms projecting generally horizontally and forwardly from said depending rods,

(3) a front crossbar connecting each pair of said cradle arms, and

(4) said front crossbar defining an upwardly projecting ridge portion forming a barrier against accidental removal of a spice can.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said artcile supporting elements comprise depending hooks adapted to support a plurality of utensils.

5. A shelf rack for holding articles beneath a shelf, said rack comprising:

(a) an elongated frame member,

(b) a pair of longitudinally spaced upwardly and rearwardly projecting arms secured to said member and adapted to extend upwardly over a shelf edge portion and engage an adjacent upper surface of a shelf,

(c) a plurality of elongated cross elements secured to said frame member in longitudinally spaced generally transversely extending relation thereto and having corresponding ones of their end portions disposed in generally longitudinal alignment, said end portions defining generally upwardly and forwardly projecting barbs adapted to engage a lower surface of a shelf to prevent accidental removal of the rack, and

(d) a plurality of article supporting elements secured to said frame member and adapted to hold articles in closely spaced relation below a shelf.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which said frame mem- I ber, arms, cross elements, and article supporting elements are formed of elongated wire rods.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SHELF RACK FOR HOLDING ARTICLES BENEATH A SHELF, SAID RACK COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED FRAME MEMBER, (B) A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY PROJECTING ARMS SECURED TO SAID MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND UPWARDLY OVER A SHELF EDGE PORTION AND ENGAGE AN ADJACENT UPPER SURFACE OF A SHELF, (C) A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED GENERALLY UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY PROJECTING BARB ELEMENTS SECURED TO SAID FRAME MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A LOWER SURFACE OF A SHELF TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL REMOVAL OF THE RACK, 